Historians today dispute the Dakota War because of the moral issues it presents. Many historians, when portraying the Dakota War, condemn either Alexander Ramsey or Abraham Lincoln. Some historians even go as far to calling the execution of the Dakota a genocide [1], while other historians argue that the Sioux tribe should not have targeted civilians during its attacks. Most historians reach these conclusions without considering the morality during the time of the Dakota War. In his book, The Landscape of History, historian John L. Gaddis demonstrates how historians should portray Ramsey's complicated decision. Gaddis argues that for historians to understand why Ramsey made the decision to convict three-hundred Native Americans, they need “to see things through another person’s perceptions- to take over another mind.”[2] Historians need to disconnect themselves from the present and think like Ramsey in order to pass insightful judgement. First, the historian needs to place themselves in the 1860s and think about the relationship between Native Americans and white Americans at that time. During the 1860s, the tensions in America between both groups were rising because Native Americans felt they were treated unfairly by the white settlers. Since 1805, the Dakota in Minnesota had been signing treaties with the white settlers, and each treaty would take more land from the Dakota, leaving them with less resources. American historian William Hesseltine, explains the Dakota attack by writing "Long years of exploitation and injustice had bred a deep resentment among the Dakota tribesmen along the frontier. When this resentment came to a head and strong bands of red men attacked the white settlements..." [3] This statement explains why the Dakota attacks were so brutal and targeted mainly civilians.
Unfortunately, historians can never truly know what Ramsey was thinking while making his proposal. However, by using inductive and deductive thinking, historians can study the remaining living structures, which can clue them in on Ramsey’s character. These remaining living structures include telegrams, letters, and newspaper articles. Gaddis describes character “as a set of patterns within an individual’s behavior that extend throughout his or her life”[4]. This definition can be keept in mind when trying to piece together Ramsey's character. When Ramsey was assigned governor of the Minnesota Territory in 1849, the Milwaukee Sentinel and Gazette described him as “social, hearty and good humored, but cool, cautious, shrewd and persevering”[5]. So, how does a person described in such a way make a decision as drastic as proposing the execution of three-hundred Native Americans? When studying the remaining living structures, historians have evidence indicating that his decision may have been driven by a personal vendetta against the Dakota during the war. In the Chicago Tribune, Ramsey was quoted saying “the public safety imperatively requires it. Justice calls for it. Humanity itself, outraged by their unutterable atrocities, demand it. The blood of the murdered cries to heaven for vengeance on these assassins of women and children” [6]. This quote also shows that he never intended to solve the conflict with diplomacy, but rather that he believed the only way to resolve it was through more violece from the white settlers.
When Ramsey became governor of the Minnesota Territory, he knew he needed to expand it in order for more white settlers to move to the area. Ramsey accomplished this by forming treaties with the Dakota people. However, he was investigated by Congress for possible fraud- but later aquitted of the charges. In 1862, as a result of the Dakota War, Ramsey accomplished his goal when the Dakotas were expelled from Minnesota. Ramsey also believed the execution of the three-hundred Dakota warriors would guarantee the "future political success of the Republican Party from a grateful populace" [7]. Gaddis writes in his book that historians need to look for the windows of opportunity of the people they are researching, and these windows of opportunity are created by sensitive dependence [8]. He describes sensitive dependence as "being in the right place at the right time" [9]. For Ramsey, his window of opportunity was the execution of the Dakota warriors. After the 1864 presidential elections, Ramsey wrote a diary entry on November 23rd, 1864 reflecting on an exchange he had with Lincoln about the executions. In Ramsey's entry, he said, "if [Lincoln] had hung more Indians, we should have given him his old majority" [10]. Lincoln responded to Ramsey, saying: "I could not afford to hang men for votes" [11]. With Ramsey's diary entry, historians gain insight into why he may have wanted to execute the three-hundred Dakotas. For Ramsey, the execution of the Dakota could just have been a political strategy, which he was not able to complete because of Lincoln's decision to pardon the majority of the Dakota.
Unfortunately, historians can never truly know what Ramsey was thinking while making his proposal. However, by using inductive and deductive thinking, historians can study the remaining living structures, which can clue them in on Ramsey’s character. These remaining living structures include telegrams, letters, and newspaper articles. Gaddis describes character “as a set of patterns within an individual’s behavior that extend throughout his or her life”[4]. This definition can be keept in mind when trying to piece together Ramsey's character. When Ramsey was assigned governor of the Minnesota Territory in 1849, the Milwaukee Sentinel and Gazette described him as “social, hearty and good humored, but cool, cautious, shrewd and persevering”[5]. So, how does a person described in such a way make a decision as drastic as proposing the execution of three-hundred Native Americans? When studying the remaining living structures, historians have evidence indicating that his decision may have been driven by a personal vendetta against the Dakota during the war. In the Chicago Tribune, Ramsey was quoted saying “the public safety imperatively requires it. Justice calls for it. Humanity itself, outraged by their unutterable atrocities, demand it. The blood of the murdered cries to heaven for vengeance on these assassins of women and children” [6]. This quote also shows that he never intended to solve the conflict with diplomacy, but rather that he believed the only way to resolve it was through more violece from the white settlers.
When Ramsey became governor of the Minnesota Territory, he knew he needed to expand it in order for more white settlers to move to the area. Ramsey accomplished this by forming treaties with the Dakota people. However, he was investigated by Congress for possible fraud- but later aquitted of the charges. In 1862, as a result of the Dakota War, Ramsey accomplished his goal when the Dakotas were expelled from Minnesota. Ramsey also believed the execution of the three-hundred Dakota warriors would guarantee the "future political success of the Republican Party from a grateful populace" [7]. Gaddis writes in his book that historians need to look for the windows of opportunity of the people they are researching, and these windows of opportunity are created by sensitive dependence [8]. He describes sensitive dependence as "being in the right place at the right time" [9]. For Ramsey, his window of opportunity was the execution of the Dakota warriors. After the 1864 presidential elections, Ramsey wrote a diary entry on November 23rd, 1864 reflecting on an exchange he had with Lincoln about the executions. In Ramsey's entry, he said, "if [Lincoln] had hung more Indians, we should have given him his old majority" [10]. Lincoln responded to Ramsey, saying: "I could not afford to hang men for votes" [11]. With Ramsey's diary entry, historians gain insight into why he may have wanted to execute the three-hundred Dakotas. For Ramsey, the execution of the Dakota could just have been a political strategy, which he was not able to complete because of Lincoln's decision to pardon the majority of the Dakota.
Sources:
[1] John A. Haymond, The Infamous Dakota War Trials of 1862: Revenge, Military, and he Judgement of History, (North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2016), 227. [GOOGLE BOOKS]
[2] John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past (New York: Oxford Press, 2002), 113.
[3] "Abraham Lincoln and Minnesota," Abraham Lincoln's Classroom, http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/abraham-lincoln-state-by-state/abraham-lincoln-and-minnesota/
[4] Gaddis, 116.
[5] "The New Governor of Minnesota,” Milwaukee Sentinel and Gazette, April. 5, 1849, 2: 2 [DATABASE]
[6] “Governor Ramsey’s Message,” Chicago Tribune, Sep. 17, 1862. 3:3 [DATABASE]
[7] Bryce O. Stenzel, " " I Cannot Hang Men For Votes": Abraham Lincoln's Moral Dilemma," The Blue Earth County Historian Vol. XX, no. 1 (2013): 10, http://www.bechshistory.com/sites/default/files/BECHS%20Historian%20Winter%202013.pdf
[8] Gaddis, 121.
[9] Gaddis, 120.
[10] David A. Nichols, Lincoln and the Indians: Civil War Policy and Politcs (Misuri: University of Missouri, 1978), 118.
[11] Nichols, Lincoln and the Indians: Civil War Policy and Politcs, 118.
Image:
"Media Room," U.S-Dakota War of 1862, http://www.usdakotawar.org/media-room
[2] John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past (New York: Oxford Press, 2002), 113.
[3] "Abraham Lincoln and Minnesota," Abraham Lincoln's Classroom, http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/abraham-lincoln-state-by-state/abraham-lincoln-and-minnesota/
[4] Gaddis, 116.
[5] "The New Governor of Minnesota,” Milwaukee Sentinel and Gazette, April. 5, 1849, 2: 2 [DATABASE]
[6] “Governor Ramsey’s Message,” Chicago Tribune, Sep. 17, 1862. 3:3 [DATABASE]
[7] Bryce O. Stenzel, " " I Cannot Hang Men For Votes": Abraham Lincoln's Moral Dilemma," The Blue Earth County Historian Vol. XX, no. 1 (2013): 10, http://www.bechshistory.com/sites/default/files/BECHS%20Historian%20Winter%202013.pdf
[8] Gaddis, 121.
[9] Gaddis, 120.
[10] David A. Nichols, Lincoln and the Indians: Civil War Policy and Politcs (Misuri: University of Missouri, 1978), 118.
[11] Nichols, Lincoln and the Indians: Civil War Policy and Politcs, 118.
Image:
"Media Room," U.S-Dakota War of 1862, http://www.usdakotawar.org/media-room